and because I also love this seamless combination of the Pu Shu song with the Escape Plan song The Brightest Star In The Sky (also title of an unrelated Z.Tao drama about an idol singer and the company he works in) here is another link for a music pause : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExSGYFBPuu0
not that I can see. Three good colleague-friends, despite some friction caused by different upbringing and ambitions. One woman Zuo Na, two young men, one who is in a steady relationship outside the office, the other could wish to woo Zuo Na, but she has reasons not to be interested, so far. The episodes are not boring with all that's going on: cases, clients, family dramas, cyber-bullying....
Zuo Na is so pissed by her dad's cheating with her former BF that she outright declares that she hates humans when her colleague inquires about what she likes! lol There may be something upcoming, but it won't be easy.
no "the", it's only "Ordinary Glory" (Edit: my mistake, I confused title with another ordinary one, below) (I meant "Ordinary Greatness"): a story about a police station and staff dealing with different cases, from ordinary neighborhood disputes to a few criminal cases. A good drama too, featuring Bai Lu in a non romantic role.
The OST is from a different drama. They only changed the language from Korean to English.
There are more than just the one song you are targeting, which had new lyrics in English. That said, it is not unusual to reuse older songs. There is in this drama one song which was originally from a very different American movie, which had already been reused in Addicted, Heroin. What's special is that these songs fit the sequences to a T and make a wonderfully addictive playlist.
Tu Song Yan is part of the cast...I'm considering to watch this, but will wait until more episodes are out :DAlready…
Remembering Tu Songyan from his recent appearances as Song Sanchuan stepdad in Nothing But You, and Zhu Yun's dad in Lighter and Princess; he also appeared in Three Body and in Meet Yourself, and as ML Li Haichao in 2020 Go Ahead. The MDL filmography lists him in 33 dramas and 6 movies already since 1998 The Return of the Condor Heroes, but mentions a "debut" in a 2006/2007 drama. The 46 year actor does look his age (unlike Jerry Yan Chengxu in The Forbidden Flower); so, here he is cast as the doctor who "young" Dongni married in Germany, but will be divorcing in a "bloody feud"!
I am watching on iQiyi which has following description:
"The three cousins of the Zheng family have been just like siblings since birth. Zheng Dongni is rebellious and flamboyant because of her parents’ relationship. She yearned for a foreign country and married in Germany. Zheng Xijue was brought up by his third uncle and three aunts because his parents died when he was young, and he stayed in Longcheng wholeheartedly to repay his kindness to the big family. Xi Jue helps his uncle who has suffered injustice to change his life, but he himself suffers from an unforgettable lovelorn. Fortunately, Dongni's best friend Jiang Yi shows up at the right time, and the two gradually establish a relationship. The marriage between Zheng Dongni and her husband Fang Jinghui, a doctor, turned into a bloody mess. A divorce war went from abroad to Longcheng. The aggressive Dongni was exhausted after her father fell ill and her mother passed away, so she relied on Xi Jue to take care of her. The last cousin, Zheng Nanyin, had a perfect family since she was a child. She was protected by her elder brother and sister. In order to resist her mother's restraint, she got married as soon as she entered university. Unexpectedly, the couple on campus broke up and she had to go back to the big family to recuperate from time to time. However, Jiang Yi wanted Xijue to leave Longcheng, and the relationship between the two was on the verge of being broken... The three brothers and sisters walked out of their original families, but new setbacks continued to appear, and finally they understood the "uselessness of the warmth." It is this seemingly useless care and watch that is the true meaning of home and the source of growth." The main character is Xijue, 西诀. as shown in the telephone directory in ep4; why does MDL have Xidu?
Ma Yili is truly talented but she is dreadfully mis-cast here. It is not fair to ask someone her age to play someone…
Noticed the wig too :) But also the reference to wuxia hero "Linghu Chong from Huashan" in the narrator presentation of "Sister Dongni", ep.1 . Referencing Jin Yong novel The Wandering Swordsman/The Smiling Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖) sequel to The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. The Swordsman has had a dozen adaptations to movie,dramas (last in 2018), theatre ( Laughing in the Wind: A Cautionary Tale in Martial Arts,2010), manhua, and even video games. Anyway, this series starts in a lively fashion, so hopefully it will not be boring!
I'm starting on it as per recommendation from Peggy who is a frequent commenter on the channel of Marcus Here! She wrote this appetizing "no spoiler" of her first impressions: "Marathon 2 to 5 . GREAT DRAMA PLOT DEVELOPMENTS.VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO WATCH ML and his colleague successfully killed a top Japanese officer but they were captured. While trying to escape, the colleague was shot to death. FL (played by Yukee Chen) was assigned to save ML and to tend to his injuries. An undercover agent nurse gave him a pill to fake his death. The plan to save ML while he be 'fake buried" on the route which he would use to enemy's HQ. FL saved him at the burial ground and took care of him till he left Shanghai to his superior in another city. Before he left her he took her hairpin
Dramatic, exciting moments ....... where the caretaker returned to retrieve his cigarette pack, the check point on all routes while injured ML was hidden in the car boot At times there is humour in the conversation 2FL is also an undercover agent Drama continues on to investigate who is the spy on ML's side who caused the death of his colleague Cheers for awesome nonstop drama time"
So, this is my next one, and I already like the sharp cinematography.
Particularly *The Goddess (Shanghai in the 1930s,featuring the famous movie star RUAN LINGYU -(see a video about her here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_cDg7wjsas&t=141s) The maker of the documentary also made interesting videos about other famous film stars of that time, such as HU DIE, from...Fengtian; and this one is fascinating since it mentions Zhang Xueliang and the 18th September Mukden indcident)
Other notable classic movies include *Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (anti Japanese war epic) *Spring in a small town
Thank you so much for this piece of history, much appreciated.
You could try that heavy book: The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 1850 - 2009 (779p, e-book available, by Jonathan Fenby, 2008) and/or that lighter one: "A Brief History of China: Dynasty, Revolution and Transformation: From the Middle Kingdom to the People's Republic" (352p, e-book available, by Jonathan Clements, 2019, Tuttle Publishing; Illustrated edition)- and/or: "A Short History of China: From Ancient Dynasties to Economic Powerhouse" (161p, e-book available, by Gordon Kerr,2013)
I suppose your local library can help you with suggestions, so you don't get buried under too many books or get broke buying them.
I like biographies, autobiographies, and well-illustrated books. And to listen to podcasts, watch some documentary programs on YouTube, watch old movies, attend conferences (where questions can be raised), go to places, visit museums....
Here' some other recommendable books about ancient and modern China: Oracle Bones, a journey (512p,e-book available, by Peter Hessler, 2006)
Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K'ang-Hsi (256p, e-book available, by Jonathan D. Spence, 1974) The author has written a series of books about interesting people, which you could follow up
Pearl Buck in China: Journey to The Good Earth (322p, e-book available, by Hilary Spurling, 2010); and/or Pearl of China (b<289p,by Anchee Min, 2010; it’s a fictional account, but captures a lot about Pearl Buck and History leading up into Mao era, which Anchee Min knew from personal experience; note that ChinKiang is the town of Zhenjiang in Jiangsu, where Pearl Buck’s former home is or was conserved as a museum.) Pearl Buck wrote fascinating novels about China, grounded in her knowledge of Chinese language and culture
The Soong Dynasty (509p, e-book available, by Sterling Seagrave,1985) but I first read The Soong Sisters-(318p, e-book available, by Emily Hahn,1940 -Emily Hahn (1905-1997) spent 8years in China and wrote an interesting memoir, titled "China To Me")
Thread Of The Silkworm (286p, e-book available, by Iris Chang, 2008) The author is also famous for her [traumatizing] book about the rape of Nanjing; less traumatizing would be watching the movie Thirteen Flowers!! or the one about John Rabe.
Episodes 31 and 32As I predicted Zhao is still alive and I called it, they used the no memory card. How else would…
I find your running commentary and synopsis of episodes very entertaining, like the somewhat convoluted and sometimes unlikely drama. 😂 Thank you for your efforts!
It is also nice to get the views from those who read the novel!
Shall we say that warts and all, we still enjoyed this "Republican era" drama? Zhang He is handsome, the women are good-looking, it's interesting to see that they had a care for their fingernails. Someone somewhere with a degree to vouch for information, wrote that this was not at all unlikely since Chinese upper-class women have been known for manicure,and even wearing enameled nail-extensions/protections on their hands. Also, they did use nail polish, made with natural ingredients. Cheers for continued drama time while you watch last episodes, while we, on YouTube still lag behind at episode 24.
Thank you so much for this piece of history, much appreciated.
Editing and adding to the previous post:
Zhang Zuolin had one wife, five concubines and 14 children (8 sons and 6 daughters), among which his eldest son and successor, Zhang Xueliang.
ZHANG XUELIANG (1901-2001), the so-called "Young Marshal" became both warlord of Manchuria and head of the now-exiled Beiyang Government. The government-in-exile only lasted one month before it reached an armistice with the Guomindang; and by the end of the year 1928, the Northeast Flag Replacement occurred, nominally reunifying China under the Nationalist banner.
A reformer who was sympathetic to nationalist ideas, Zhang Xueliang warlord of Manchuria June 4, 1928 – December 26, 1936, completed the official reunification of China at the end of the Warlord Era by pledging loyalty to the Nationalist government in Nanjing. He nonetheless retained Manchuria's de facto autonomy until the Empire of Japan invaded and occupied the region in 1931. He was frustrated by Chiang Kai-shek's policy of "first internal pacification, then external resistance" and helped plan and lead the 1936 Xi'an Incident. Northeastern soldiers under Zhang's command arrested Jiang Jieshi (Chinese name of Chiang Kaishek) to force him to negotiate a Second United Front with the Chinese Communist Party against Japan. Chiang eventually agreed, but upon his release he had Zhang arrested and sentenced to 50 years of house arrest, first in mainland China and then in Taiwan. Although never personally a communist, Zhang is regarded by the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China as a patriotic hero for his role in ending the encirclement campaigns and beginning the war of resistance against Japan.
But privately, Zhang Xueliang was known as a womanizer and an opium addict, although he overcame his opium addiction in 1933 with the administering of Cantharidin auto-serum therapy.
In 1916, he first married Yu Feng Tze (于鳳至 YU FENGZHI; born 1897–died 1990). She was born into a wealthy businessman's family in Northeast China; Zhang Zuolin and her father, Yu Wendou, were sworn brothers, so Yu Fengzhi, three years older than Zhang Xueliang, was promised to him from infancy. She was intelligent and well-educated, a graduate of Fengtian Girl’s Normal School in 1913, and close to the imperial family Pu Yi's younger brother Pu Jie once commented on her in one sentence: "The appearance is like a lotus after the rain.". She was also acquainted with Soong Mei-Ling, the wife of Chiang Kaishek because the Soong sisters’ mother was Yu Fengzhi’s godmother. Yu Fengzhi had a crush on Zhang. But initially, Zhang was reluctant about the arranged marriage. He still went womanizing while his wife patiently took care of the grand household and even offered some advice on military affairs to him. She loved her Shengjing hometown, was loyal to her motherland, and cared about people's livelihood. When the Liaohe River was flooded, she gave a generous speech and raised funds for disaster relief. When the father of the country, Sun Yat-sen, died, she accompanied the mother of the country, Soong Ching Ling/Song Qingling, to the state funeral in Nanjing. After the September 18th, 1931, Incident, she took the lead in donating money in Beijing and called on women to support the frontier to fight against Japan. She generously accepted the presence of her husband’s mistress, Miss Zhao, who had suddenly appeared by Zhang Xueliang’s side, while Yu Fengzhi was helping put things in order in the wake of Zhang Zhuolin’s death from bombing. But although the two women took turns as sisters in the household, in 1940, Yu Fengzhi had to leave to seek treatment for cancer in the U.S. She was cured two years later, and formally immigrated to the U.S., made a fortune on stocks and business, bought two villas for them, including a mansion in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, as a place for Zhang Xueliang to retire. In waiting for her husband’s freedom, she purchased space for two graves in the USA. But In 1964, for political reasons, Jiang Jieshi and Soong Meiling (who still feared the possible return of a power couple of “Northern Tigers”) forced Zhang Xueliang to sign a divorce agreement on the pretext that Zhang Xueliang believed in Christianity and could only have one wife. Yu did not accept the divorce but could not overturn the decision despite her pleas but ended up agreeing to allow her husband marry Zhao. Later, Yu died in Los Angeles, and the tomb beside hers in the Rose cemetery was to stay empty. Zhang Xueliang eventually travelled to pay his respects there, but he was buried elsewhere.
Zhang and Yu had one daughter and three sons, born between 1916 and 1920. The daughter, Pauline Tao, born Chang Lu-ying (張閭瑛 Zhāng Lǘyīng) was the wife of a professor, Tao Pengfei, whom Lüying met as a teenager in Liaoning, but fell in love with at 20, in London. She followed him when he went to study in Cambridge, UK, to Germany, and to the USA where he earned his PhD. Tao Pengfei was a professor at the University of California, Zhang Lüying also engaged in education. For many years they accumulated contacts in the local Chinese society and Tao Pengfei founded the San Francisco Chinese Friendship Association in 1966. Zhang Lüying died in 2015, in San Francisco, almost 100 years old, like her father.
Zhang Xueliang also had a concubine: Gu Ruiyu (谷瑞玉1904-1946); they married in 1924, divorced in 1931 with no children.
His mistress Edith Chao Chang (趙一荻 Zhao Yidi 1912-2000) was the mother of his illegitimate son Robert Chang Lu-lin (張閭琳 Zhang Lülin born in 1930). In 1964, Zhang married Zhao in Taiwan. In 1995, they immigrated together to Honolulu on Hawaii, where they are buried. Their son is still alive in the U.S.
Thank you so much for this piece of history, much appreciated.
This said, you may have noticed that in Episode23 on YouTube, today, the Young Marshall Zhao Zhengnan went to Fengtian, to defend Liaoning and the Dongbei. Some more historical and geographical reminders below:
* The DONGBEI 东北=Northeast, it is also often referred to, historically, as "Manchuria" and covers the three provinces from closest to farthest north from Hebei/Jing-Jin-Ji PRC capital area:
-LIAONING辽宁, is the present-day name of the province that extends northwards of Hebei province and borders the sea and the Korean peninsula. -JILIN 吉林 (from girin ula, a Manchu phrase meaning "along the river”). This province became the heart of the puppet state of Manchukuo, where a smaller imperial palace was built in Changchun for Puyi (who was the last Qing emperor), -HEILONGJIANG (黑龙江referring to the Black Dragon River which constitutes the border with Russia, where the river is known as Amur), -but historically it also encompassed the four easternmost prefectures of Inner Mongolia west of the Greater Khingan, a 1200km long range of volcanic mountains.
* LIAONING/FENGTIAN/MUKDENPROVINCE. Liaoning is the present-day name of the province since 1954. (The characters辽宁refer to the Liao River and to “peace” or “pacification’) It was formerly established in 1907 as FENGTIAN province, renamed LIAONING in 1929. It was also known at that time as MUKDEN Province for the Manchu name of its capital. Under the Japanese-puppet Manchukuo regime, the province reverted to its 1907 name, but the name Liaoning was restored for a brief time in 1945 and then again in 1954.
*SHENGJNG/MUKDEN/SHENYANG. Shengjing (the former name of present-day Shenyang) was after 1625 the capital of the Jurchen or “Later Jin” dynasty (before it was renamed Qing). The main Qing capital was moved to Beijing after it fell to the Qing in 1644, but Shengjing retained its importance as a regional capital throughout most of the Qing -Manchu- empire 1635-1912.
QING/MANCHU/JURCHEN. In1616, the Manchu state was founded by Nurhaci, who was the chieftain of the minor Aisin-Gioro JURCHEN tribe (Aisin-Gioro remained the name of the ruling members of the Qing imperial family, and of “princess Yurong” in this drama). Emperor Taizhong, aka Jurchen khan Hong Taiji, named the Great Qing dynasty in 1636. Contrary to Mongols, the Jurchen were not nomads but agricultural people; they had cities and territorial ambitions, conquering the Liaoning area and later capturing the capital of the Ming dynasty in1644.
In July 1917, there was an abortive attempt to restore the Qing dynasty led by Chinese general Zhang Xun (1854-1923). This was the time frame for the Guri Bude first part of this drama.
Since the Zhao family originates from Fengtian, we may think that the story is loosely based on that of the son of Zhang Zuolin (1875-1928), whose assassination by members of the Japanese Kwantung Army made way for the invasion of China.
(infos adapted or copied from Wikipedia and other sources)
Thank you so much for this piece of history, much appreciated.
@Thuc Duyen I am happy that this was of some use to you. I like maps and documents to complement what I watch or read even if it is about imaginary places 😉
The warlords in this drama are fictional and only very remotely based on existing ones. The story spans roughly the years 1916-1932. Some reminders about Chinese"Republican era"history and places:
* The Qing empire fell in October 1911. A provisional government was established in Nanjing the following year under Sun Yat-sen, who had returned from his long exile to lead the revolution. But the "southern" revolutionaries were not strong enough to defeat the Beiyang army of Yuan Shikai, in the north, who became the de facto dictator of China after the Xinhai Revolution established the Republic of China in 1912.
* The Warlord Era began in 1916 upon Yuan Shikai's death.
* Two of the most powerful strongmen of the Warlord Era were the "Old Marshal" ZHANG ZUOLIN (warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928) and WU PEIFU in Zhili, known as Hebei province now. (Today, the C-shaped area of Hebei, surrounding Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, makes up the Jing-Jin-Ji megalopolis region bordering the Bohai sea, the Shandong peninsula to the south and the Dongbei north-east region to the north, which borders with the Korean peninsula).
Among other famous warlords, the "Christian General" FENG YUXIANG was a soldier since childhood. Like Wu, he was a graduate of Paoting military academy. He seized Beijing in 1924 and demonstrated how easily a major Chinese city could be overthrown.
[Paoting/now Baoding, was the capital of Zhili Province, and the headquarters for Yuan Shikai's New Army, which until 1901 was based in Xiaozhan, near Tianjin. Yuan Shikai had founded a military academy to train officers in Paoting; it closed in 1923, but served as a model for the Whampoa Military Academy, which was founded in Canton/Guangzhou in 1924]
*The Empire of Japan 's Kwantung Army invaded Manchuria, following a small explosion on a railway line near Mukden on 18 September 1931, which is known as the Mukden Incident. [Mukden was the Manchu name of present-day Shenyang, also formerly known as Fengtian ( 奉天) ]. In February 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo. The war of resistance against the Japanese invasion continued until 1945, while the civil war between the "Nationalist" Guomindang and the Communists started as early as 1931 (destruction of the jiangxi Chinese Soviet Republic and regrouping of the Communists after the Long March) and lasted until the PRC was proclaimed on October 1, 1949.
Of course dramas are only for aesthetics and not to be construed as true to life documents! But there is a case for dodgy medical conditions on board a train in China in the 1920s Western medicine on battlefields of First World War showed hospitals were not equipped with much sanitation there either.
Antimicrobial substances for fighting bacterial infections were not much used before the late 1920s (and not available in just any traditional pharmacy!!) The first penicillin, penicillin G, was used in 1942, but it did not become widely available outside the Allied military before 1945.
Ahem, not so clear cut!! Me, I enjoy all types: Meteor Garden silliness, Ashes of Love third wheel Runyu (wonderful…
Of course, all this is very subjective and individual, people can change their opinion to follow a way of viewing and judging, or avoid herd-thought, and that's all legitimate. You know that wonderful song: We are all different... but hope to come together eventually. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHl69DMrzvU= 😎
I also like some types of word of mouth from "Peggy Tanaka", who comments and adds data on Marcus' YouTube channel. When she waxes lyrical about something, I get curious.
On the other hand, a couple of shows that many liked, I found stupid and pretentious in 2021. I will not say which ones, since I don't wish to spoil the enjoyment of those who like them... My views are different.
Those who need reassurance because they are not familiar with Asian culture and prefer to rely on others' advice and explanations can go to "guidelines"representing them of course. I understand that newcomers to c-drama, k-drama, j-drama and other Asian shows (lakorn etc) may need some advice. Chinese culture is rather familiar to me, so I am happy to watch C-dramas, if they keep my attention, not from a new moral grid. Guilty pleasures sometimes, hehehe! Like exploring the various takes on the hana yori dango phenomenon, from the past millennium to the latest F4 Thailand! But these are not for "mature" audience, just like much xianxia, wuxia, xuanhuan is also for some aficionados or for curious people who will not scoff at the concepts of "cultivation" and layers of Heaven and Hell. (Amazing that TTEOTM is breaking new records in reservations! This is one xianxia fantasy drama far removed from almost slice-of-life Road Home, but which I am highly anticipating).
Anyway, c-dramas are all rather tame, nothing that's going to turn audience into rabid mass-murderers or perverts or have them run to get help for PTSD like the victims of GoT Red wedding episode,or Marathon Man dentist torture. I trust Chinese censors and producers' even stricter autocensure to spare us from anything really bad. At worst, bullies and lawbreakers get punished, and not blown into sulfurous models like the Godfather or 20 Shades of Grey.... Karma is there to keep balance!
Take the beginning credits and ending credits out of the equations, and trust me it can be done. Like myself who…
No, not LiFoW; except for the military school and poetry book part, I hated that drama! I don't mind tragic endings, but this one had a false good one: come on, sailing back to war torn China with small orphan in tow?? So much was not relatable and unbelievable and to boot pretentious in that mess. I almost dropped it after 1/3 in, but did not feel any reward from staying till end. I regretted that the Chinese opera bit in the beginning got swept away and only revived for a subplot about ML scarred memories about his mom, and a Chi-Ling style stunt much later, rather clumsily mixed there, in my view. LiFoW was my biggest disappointment of that year.
City of Streamer and Fall in Love despite their flaws were more to my taste. Arsenal Military Academy kept me glued to screen: Bai Lu and Xu Kai were great! Hutong was preachy, but watchable despite horrible subtitling. Last Princess starts Ok, although conventional.
I don't mind sad endings, though the first ones just above are not really sad. One and Only flamboyant tragedy is one of my all-time favorite C-dramas, and I preferred Runyu to Xufeng in Ashes of Love. 😉
To me, some Republican era and later period movies are also. very memorable: Tea House, Ah Q, Little Toys, the Goddess, At the Crossroad, Farewell My Concubine, Spring in a small city, Thirteen Flowers, John Rabe, City of Life and Death ,war movies...
To those who are still in the fence on whether you have to watch it or not. Ask yourself this questions:1. Do…
Ahem, not so clear cut!! Me, I enjoy all types: Meteor Garden silliness, Ashes of Love third wheel Runyu (wonderful LYX🥰), One and Only tragedy, About is Love scheming and bossy president, Love Like the Galaxy dark humor, Maid's Revenge shocking twists and Dai Gaozheng's awesome abs 😂, Love in Time complications, Lighter and Princess bad boy genius entrepreneur, The Forbidden Flower rushing against death, Road Home even path... and now Nothing But You rocky one. So, I don't rely on negative advice from other sensibilities, about dramas. Not that I agree with all positive either, for instance, I ended up hating much of Love In Flames of War (because of many glaring inconsistencies, and the cold and unbelievable FL played by Chen Duling, but I will try to forget that in TTEOTM)
2 
5 
1 
1 
For those who don't know the lyrics, here they are :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbxCYdyRuro
and because I also love this seamless combination of the Pu Shu song with the Escape Plan song The Brightest Star In The Sky (also title of an unrelated Z.Tao drama about an idol singer and the company he works in) here is another link for a music pause :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExSGYFBPuu0
(I meant "Ordinary Greatness"): a story about a police station and staff dealing with different cases, from ordinary neighborhood disputes to a few criminal cases. A good drama too, featuring Bai Lu in a non romantic role.
"The three cousins of the Zheng family have been just like siblings since birth.
Zheng Dongni is rebellious and flamboyant because of her parents’ relationship. She yearned for a foreign country and married in Germany.
Zheng Xijue was brought up by his third uncle and three aunts because his parents died when he was young, and he stayed in Longcheng wholeheartedly to repay his kindness to the big family. Xi Jue helps his uncle who has suffered injustice to change his life, but he himself suffers from an unforgettable lovelorn. Fortunately, Dongni's best friend Jiang Yi shows up at the right time, and the two gradually establish a relationship.
The marriage between Zheng Dongni and her husband Fang Jinghui, a doctor, turned into a bloody mess. A divorce war went from abroad to Longcheng. The aggressive Dongni was exhausted after her father fell ill and her mother passed away, so she relied on Xi Jue to take care of her.
The last cousin, Zheng Nanyin, had a perfect family since she was a child. She was protected by her elder brother and sister. In order to resist her mother's restraint, she got married as soon as she entered university. Unexpectedly, the couple on campus broke up and she had to go back to the big family to recuperate from time to time. However, Jiang Yi wanted Xijue to leave Longcheng, and the relationship between the two was on the verge of being broken...
The three brothers and sisters walked out of their original families, but new setbacks continued to appear, and finally they understood the "uselessness of the warmth." It is this seemingly useless care and watch that is the true meaning of home and the source of growth."
The main character is Xijue, 西诀. as shown in the telephone directory in ep4; why does MDL have Xidu?
But also the reference to wuxia hero "Linghu Chong from Huashan" in the narrator presentation of "Sister Dongni", ep.1 . Referencing Jin Yong novel The Wandering Swordsman/The Smiling Proud Wanderer (笑傲江湖) sequel to The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. The Swordsman has had a dozen adaptations to movie,dramas (last in 2018), theatre ( Laughing in the Wind: A Cautionary Tale in Martial Arts,2010), manhua, and even video games.
Anyway, this series starts in a lively fashion, so hopefully it will not be boring!
Playlist here with timestamps below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ2b2Z8Kvi8
00:00 At a glance - 一眼之间 Yīyǎn zhī jiān (Zǐ Zhú 紫竹) - [this is the closing song of episodes]
04:02 Afterlife promise - 来世之约 Láishì zhī yuē (Mèng Rán 梦然)
08:23 Memorial - 念想 Niàn xiǎng (Wáng Hèrùn 王鹤润, Zhāng Hè 张赫)
12:17 Kite - Fēngzhēng (Jiǎn Hóngyì aka Jason Hong 简弘亦)
16:09 Tears of Flowing Clouds - 流云之泪 Lú yún zhī lèi (Wèi Xún 魏巡)
20:52 He - Tā 他 (Hè Jìngxuān aka Hins Cheung King Hin 贺敬轩)
24:50 Brief history of time - 时间简史 Shíjiān jiǎn shǐ (Liú Fèngyáo 刘凤瑶)
26:47 Never Forget - 念念不忘 Niàn niàn bù wàng (Dài Yǔtóng 戴羽彤)
30:12 instrumental
34:42 One and all - 一一 Yīyī (Yù Kěwéi aka Yisa Yu 郁可唯)
Enjoy!
whttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJuAbLT-BpI&list=PLUM8x224JrX-WPW0A_JPVVojYn5vnah7a&index=8
I'm starting on it as per recommendation from Peggy who is a frequent commenter on the channel of Marcus Here! She wrote this appetizing "no spoiler" of her first impressions:
"Marathon 2 to 5 .
GREAT DRAMA PLOT DEVELOPMENTS.VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO WATCH
ML and his colleague successfully killed a top Japanese officer but they were captured. While trying to escape, the colleague was shot to death.
FL (played by Yukee Chen) was assigned to save ML and to tend to his injuries. An undercover agent nurse gave him a pill to fake his death. The plan to save ML while he be 'fake buried" on the route which he would use to enemy's HQ. FL saved him at the burial ground and took care of him till he left Shanghai to his superior in another city.
Before he left her he took her hairpin
Dramatic, exciting moments ....... where the caretaker returned to retrieve his cigarette pack, the check point on all routes while injured ML was hidden in the car boot
At times there is humour in the conversation
2FL is also an undercover agent
Drama continues on to investigate who is the spy on ML's side who caused the death of his colleague
Cheers for awesome nonstop drama time"
So, this is my next one, and I already like the sharp cinematography.
https://supchina.com/2018/08/17/five-essential-chinese-silent-films/
Particularly
*The Goddess (Shanghai in the 1930s,featuring the famous movie star RUAN LINGYU -(see a video about her here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_cDg7wjsas&t=141s)
The maker of the documentary also made interesting videos about other famous film stars of that time, such as HU DIE, from...Fengtian; and this one is fascinating since it mentions Zhang Xueliang and the 18th September Mukden indcident)
Other notable classic movies include
*Spring River Flows East 一江春水向東流 (anti Japanese war epic)
*Spring in a small town
There are other interesting talks and documents on this channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@ModernChineseCulturalStudies
and/or that lighter one: "A Brief History of China: Dynasty, Revolution and Transformation: From the Middle Kingdom to the People's Republic" (352p, e-book available, by Jonathan Clements, 2019, Tuttle Publishing; Illustrated edition)-
and/or: "A Short History of China: From Ancient Dynasties to Economic Powerhouse" (161p, e-book available, by Gordon Kerr,2013)
I suppose your local library can help you with suggestions, so you don't get buried under too many books or get broke buying them.
I like biographies, autobiographies, and well-illustrated books. And to listen to podcasts, watch some documentary programs on YouTube, watch old movies, attend conferences (where questions can be raised), go to places, visit museums....
Here' some other recommendable books about ancient and modern China:
Oracle Bones, a journey (512p,e-book available, by Peter Hessler, 2006)
Emperor of China: Self-Portrait of K'ang-Hsi (256p, e-book available, by Jonathan D. Spence, 1974)
The author has written a series of books about interesting people, which you could follow up
Pearl Buck in China: Journey to The Good Earth (322p, e-book available, by Hilary Spurling, 2010);
and/or Pearl of China (b<289p,by Anchee Min, 2010; it’s a fictional account, but captures a lot about Pearl Buck and History leading up into Mao era, which Anchee Min knew from personal experience; note that ChinKiang is the town of Zhenjiang in Jiangsu, where Pearl Buck’s former home is or was conserved as a museum.)
Pearl Buck wrote fascinating novels about China, grounded in her knowledge of Chinese language and culture
The Soong Dynasty (509p, e-book available, by Sterling Seagrave,1985)
but I first read The Soong Sisters-(318p, e-book available, by Emily Hahn,1940 -Emily Hahn (1905-1997) spent 8years in China and wrote an interesting memoir, titled "China To Me")
Thread Of The Silkworm (286p, e-book available, by Iris Chang, 2008)
The author is also famous for her [traumatizing] book about the rape of Nanjing; less traumatizing would be watching the movie Thirteen Flowers!! or the one about John Rabe.
Thank you for your efforts!
It is also nice to get the views from those who read the novel!
Shall we say that warts and all, we still enjoyed this "Republican era" drama?
Zhang He is handsome, the women are good-looking, it's interesting to see that they had a care for their fingernails. Someone somewhere with a degree to vouch for information, wrote that this was not at all unlikely since Chinese upper-class women have been known for manicure,and even wearing enameled nail-extensions/protections on their hands. Also, they did use nail polish, made with natural ingredients.
Cheers for continued drama time while you watch last episodes, while we, on YouTube still lag behind at episode 24.
Zhang Zuolin had one wife, five concubines and 14 children (8 sons and 6 daughters), among which his eldest son and successor, Zhang Xueliang.
ZHANG XUELIANG (1901-2001), the so-called "Young Marshal" became both warlord of Manchuria and head of the now-exiled Beiyang Government. The government-in-exile only lasted one month before it reached an armistice with the Guomindang; and by the end of the year 1928, the Northeast Flag Replacement occurred, nominally reunifying China under the Nationalist banner.
A reformer who was sympathetic to nationalist ideas, Zhang Xueliang warlord of Manchuria June 4, 1928 – December 26, 1936, completed the official reunification of China at the end of the Warlord Era by pledging loyalty to the Nationalist government in Nanjing. He nonetheless retained Manchuria's de facto autonomy until the Empire of Japan invaded and occupied the region in 1931. He was frustrated by Chiang Kai-shek's policy of "first internal pacification, then external resistance" and helped plan and lead the 1936 Xi'an Incident. Northeastern soldiers under Zhang's command arrested Jiang Jieshi (Chinese name of Chiang Kaishek) to force him to negotiate a Second United Front with the Chinese Communist Party against Japan. Chiang eventually agreed, but upon his release he had Zhang arrested and sentenced to 50 years of house arrest, first in mainland China and then in Taiwan. Although never personally a communist, Zhang is regarded by the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China as a patriotic hero for his role in ending the encirclement campaigns and beginning the war of resistance against Japan.
But privately, Zhang Xueliang was known as a womanizer and an opium addict, although he overcame his opium addiction in 1933 with the administering of Cantharidin auto-serum therapy.
In 1916, he first married Yu Feng Tze (于鳳至 YU FENGZHI; born 1897–died 1990).
She was born into a wealthy businessman's family in Northeast China; Zhang Zuolin and her father, Yu Wendou, were sworn brothers, so Yu Fengzhi, three years older than Zhang Xueliang, was promised to him from infancy. She was intelligent and well-educated, a graduate of Fengtian Girl’s Normal School in 1913, and close to the imperial family Pu Yi's younger brother Pu Jie once commented on her in one sentence: "The appearance is like a lotus after the rain.". She was also acquainted with Soong Mei-Ling, the wife of Chiang Kaishek because the Soong sisters’ mother was Yu Fengzhi’s godmother.
Yu Fengzhi had a crush on Zhang. But initially, Zhang was reluctant about the arranged marriage. He still went womanizing while his wife patiently took care of the grand household and even offered some advice on military affairs to him. She loved her Shengjing hometown, was loyal to her motherland, and cared about people's livelihood. When the Liaohe River was flooded, she gave a generous speech and raised funds for disaster relief. When the father of the country, Sun Yat-sen, died, she accompanied the mother of the country, Soong Ching Ling/Song Qingling, to the state funeral in Nanjing. After the September 18th, 1931, Incident, she took the lead in donating money in Beijing and called on women to support the frontier to fight against Japan.
She generously accepted the presence of her husband’s mistress, Miss Zhao, who had suddenly appeared by Zhang Xueliang’s side, while Yu Fengzhi was helping put things in order in the wake of Zhang Zhuolin’s death from bombing. But although the two women took turns as sisters in the household, in 1940, Yu Fengzhi had to leave to seek treatment for cancer in the U.S.
She was cured two years later, and formally immigrated to the U.S., made a fortune on stocks and business, bought two villas for them, including a mansion in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, as a place for Zhang Xueliang to retire. In waiting for her husband’s freedom, she purchased space for two graves in the USA.
But In 1964, for political reasons, Jiang Jieshi and Soong Meiling (who still feared the possible return of a power couple of “Northern Tigers”) forced Zhang Xueliang to sign a divorce agreement on the pretext that Zhang Xueliang believed in Christianity and could only have one wife. Yu did not accept the divorce but could not overturn the decision despite her pleas but ended up agreeing to allow her husband marry Zhao. Later, Yu died in Los Angeles, and the tomb beside hers in the Rose cemetery was to stay empty. Zhang Xueliang eventually travelled to pay his respects there, but he was buried elsewhere.
Zhang and Yu had one daughter and three sons, born between 1916 and 1920.
The daughter, Pauline Tao, born Chang Lu-ying (張閭瑛 Zhāng Lǘyīng) was the wife of a professor, Tao Pengfei, whom Lüying met as a teenager in Liaoning, but fell in love with at 20, in London. She followed him when he went to study in Cambridge, UK, to Germany, and to the USA where he earned his PhD. Tao Pengfei was a professor at the University of California, Zhang Lüying also engaged in education. For many years they accumulated contacts in the local Chinese society and Tao Pengfei founded the San Francisco Chinese Friendship Association in 1966. Zhang Lüying died in 2015, in San Francisco, almost 100 years old, like her father.
Zhang Xueliang also had a concubine: Gu Ruiyu (谷瑞玉1904-1946); they married in 1924, divorced in 1931 with no children.
His mistress Edith Chao Chang (趙一荻 Zhao Yidi 1912-2000) was the mother of his illegitimate son Robert Chang Lu-lin (張閭琳 Zhang Lülin born in 1930). In 1964, Zhang married Zhao in Taiwan. In 1995, they immigrated together to Honolulu on Hawaii, where they are buried. Their son is still alive in the U.S.
(infos adapted or copied from Wikipedia and other sources, such as the nicely illustrated article https://min.news/en/history/bf515c1fcf0f784bad90ca4eae735d11.html)
* The DONGBEI 东北=Northeast, it is also often referred to, historically, as "Manchuria" and covers the three provinces from closest to farthest north from Hebei/Jing-Jin-Ji PRC capital area:
-LIAONING辽宁, is the present-day name of the province that extends northwards of Hebei province and borders the sea and the Korean peninsula.
-JILIN 吉林 (from girin ula, a Manchu phrase meaning "along the river”). This province became the heart of the puppet state of Manchukuo, where a smaller imperial palace was built in Changchun for Puyi (who was the last Qing emperor),
-HEILONGJIANG (黑龙江referring to the Black Dragon River which constitutes the border with Russia, where the river is known as Amur),
-but historically it also encompassed the four easternmost prefectures of Inner Mongolia west of the Greater Khingan, a 1200km long range of volcanic mountains.
* LIAONING/FENGTIAN/MUKDENPROVINCE. Liaoning is the present-day name of the province since 1954. (The characters辽宁refer to the Liao River and to “peace” or “pacification’) It was formerly established in 1907 as FENGTIAN province, renamed LIAONING in 1929. It was also known at that time as MUKDEN Province for the Manchu name of its capital. Under the Japanese-puppet Manchukuo regime, the province reverted to its 1907 name, but the name Liaoning was restored for a brief time in 1945 and then again in 1954.
*SHENGJNG/MUKDEN/SHENYANG. Shengjing (the former name of present-day Shenyang) was after 1625 the capital of the Jurchen or “Later Jin” dynasty (before it was renamed Qing). The main Qing capital was moved to Beijing after it fell to the Qing in 1644, but Shengjing retained its importance as a regional capital throughout most of the Qing -Manchu- empire 1635-1912.
QING/MANCHU/JURCHEN. In1616, the Manchu state was founded by Nurhaci, who was the chieftain of the minor Aisin-Gioro JURCHEN tribe (Aisin-Gioro remained the name of the ruling members of the Qing imperial family, and of “princess Yurong” in this drama). Emperor Taizhong, aka Jurchen khan Hong Taiji, named the Great Qing dynasty in 1636. Contrary to Mongols, the Jurchen were not nomads but agricultural people; they had cities and territorial ambitions, conquering the Liaoning area and later capturing the capital of the Ming dynasty in1644.
In July 1917, there was an abortive attempt to restore the Qing dynasty led by Chinese general Zhang Xun (1854-1923). This was the time frame for the Guri Bude first part of this drama.
Since the Zhao family originates from Fengtian, we may think that the story is loosely based on that of the son of Zhang Zuolin (1875-1928), whose assassination by members of the Japanese Kwantung Army made way for the invasion of China.
(infos adapted or copied from Wikipedia and other sources)
The story spans roughly the years 1916-1932.
Some reminders about Chinese"Republican era"history and places:
* The Qing empire fell in October 1911. A provisional government was established in Nanjing the following year under Sun Yat-sen, who had returned from his long exile to lead the revolution. But the "southern" revolutionaries were not strong enough to defeat the Beiyang army of Yuan Shikai, in the north, who became the de facto dictator of China after the Xinhai Revolution established the Republic of China in 1912.
* The Warlord Era began in 1916 upon Yuan Shikai's death.
* Two of the most powerful strongmen of the Warlord Era were the "Old Marshal" ZHANG ZUOLIN (warlord of Manchuria from 1916 to 1928) and WU PEIFU in Zhili, known as Hebei province now. (Today, the C-shaped area of Hebei, surrounding Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, makes up the Jing-Jin-Ji megalopolis region bordering the Bohai sea, the Shandong peninsula to the south and the Dongbei north-east region to the north, which borders with the Korean peninsula).
Among other famous warlords, the "Christian General" FENG YUXIANG was a soldier since childhood. Like Wu, he was a graduate of Paoting military academy. He seized Beijing in 1924 and demonstrated how easily a major Chinese city could be overthrown.
[Paoting/now Baoding, was the capital of Zhili Province, and the headquarters for Yuan Shikai's New Army, which until 1901 was based in Xiaozhan, near Tianjin. Yuan Shikai had founded a military academy to train officers in Paoting; it closed in 1923, but served as a model for the Whampoa Military Academy, which was founded in Canton/Guangzhou in 1924]
*The Empire of Japan 's Kwantung Army invaded Manchuria, following a small explosion on a railway line near Mukden on 18 September 1931, which is known as the Mukden Incident. [Mukden was the Manchu name of present-day Shenyang, also formerly known as Fengtian ( 奉天) ]. In February 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo. The war of resistance against the Japanese invasion continued until 1945, while the civil war between the "Nationalist" Guomindang and the Communists started as early as 1931 (destruction of the jiangxi Chinese Soviet Republic and regrouping of the Communists after the Long March) and lasted until the PRC was proclaimed on October 1, 1949.
Of course dramas are only for aesthetics and not to be construed as true to life documents!
But there is a case for dodgy medical conditions on board a train in China in the 1920s
Western medicine on battlefields of First World War showed hospitals were not equipped with much sanitation there either.
Antimicrobial substances for fighting bacterial infections were not much used before the late 1920s (and not available in just any traditional pharmacy!!) The first penicillin, penicillin G, was used in 1942, but it did not become widely available outside the Allied military before 1945.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHl69DMrzvU= 😎
I also like some types of word of mouth from "Peggy Tanaka", who comments and adds data on Marcus' YouTube channel. When she waxes lyrical about something, I get curious.
On the other hand, a couple of shows that many liked, I found stupid and pretentious in 2021. I will not say which ones, since I don't wish to spoil the enjoyment of those who like them... My views are different.
Those who need reassurance because they are not familiar with Asian culture and prefer to rely on others' advice and explanations can go to "guidelines"representing them of course. I understand that newcomers to c-drama, k-drama, j-drama and other Asian shows (lakorn etc) may need some advice. Chinese culture is rather familiar to me, so I am happy to watch C-dramas, if they keep my attention, not from a new moral grid. Guilty pleasures sometimes, hehehe! Like exploring the various takes on the hana yori dango phenomenon, from the past millennium to the latest F4 Thailand! But these are not for "mature" audience, just like much xianxia, wuxia, xuanhuan is also for some aficionados or for curious people who will not scoff at the concepts of "cultivation" and layers of Heaven and Hell. (Amazing that TTEOTM is breaking new records in reservations! This is one xianxia fantasy drama far removed from almost slice-of-life Road Home, but which I am highly anticipating).
Anyway, c-dramas are all rather tame, nothing that's going to turn audience into rabid mass-murderers or perverts or have them run to get help for PTSD like the victims of GoT Red wedding episode,or Marathon Man dentist torture. I trust Chinese censors and producers' even stricter autocensure to spare us from anything really bad. At worst, bullies and lawbreakers get punished, and not blown into sulfurous models like the Godfather or 20 Shades of Grey.... Karma is there to keep balance!
LiFoW was my biggest disappointment of that year.
(Chi-Ling is one of my favorite songs, btw, loving how it was intertwined with footage from Farewell My Concubine, in this MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw1twVKCsXU
There's also, aside from the original HITA version, an iconic one by Tan Jing, and an interesting one in 2021 by Steven Zhang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWlm1sqwkQ0)
City of Streamer and Fall in Love despite their flaws were more to my taste. Arsenal Military Academy kept me glued to screen: Bai Lu and Xu Kai were great! Hutong was preachy, but watchable despite horrible subtitling. Last Princess starts Ok, although conventional.
I don't mind sad endings, though the first ones just above are not really sad.
One and Only flamboyant tragedy is one of my all-time favorite C-dramas, and I preferred Runyu to Xufeng in Ashes of Love. 😉
To me, some Republican era and later period movies are also. very memorable: Tea House, Ah Q, Little Toys, the Goddess, At the Crossroad, Farewell My Concubine, Spring in a small city, Thirteen Flowers, John Rabe, City of Life and Death ,war movies...
So, I don't rely on negative advice from other sensibilities, about dramas.
Not that I agree with all positive either, for instance, I ended up hating much of Love In Flames of War (because of many glaring inconsistencies, and the cold and unbelievable FL played by Chen Duling, but I will try to forget that in TTEOTM)